Current Briefs for RV Parks and Campgrounds

The national seashore park remained closed Wednesday (Aug. 21) because park roads, campgrounds, parking lots and boardwalks remain flooded, six days after the park closed at the end of the day on Aug. 16 ahead of a tropical system.

Seashore officials expected the main road to flood and be smothered in sand, as it often does these days, when big surf and high tide pushed a storm surge across it over the weekend.

But the 3 inches of rain that fell that weekend along with the rain that has fallen since, has left many areas of the park underwater, even though the sand has been removed from the main road.

If the water has receded, the park might reopen to campers and visitors.

From WINK-TV, Fort Myers

Residents in the Hitching Post Mobile Home Park in Naples say heavy rains have caused floods. So in an effort to dry out their park, they pump the water into nearby drainage ditches.

The ditches flow alongside an RV park owned by Carefree Communities Inc. just a ways down Barefoot Williams Road. Residents at the RV park say the ditches fill with the floodwaters and overflow, flooding their park.

County officials say it’s been happening for more than three decades but residents say they are still looking for a solutions. The vice president of Carefree Communites says they have hired an engineer to try and fix the problem and expects to implement changes in the next 30 to 60 days. Meanwhile, residents say they will simply try to stay dry as their streets repeatedly turn into streams.

Davis Mountains State Park will close from Sept. 3, 2013 through March 1, 2014, for major renovations, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Many of the park’s amenities, including the campgrounds, trails, and Interpretive Center, will not be available for visitors.

The renovations will include utility projects, a new trail system in the Limpia Canyon primitive area, and the park’s new bird viewing area will be completed as well.

The Indian Lodge and Black Bear Restaurant are unaffected by the closure.

Davis Mountains State Park and the Indian Lodge are located four miles north of Fort Davis on State Highway 18 North.

CALIFORNIA

From a press release:

The Mendocino National Forest has issued a closure order for Wells Cabin Campground on the Grindstone Ranger District due to hazard trees.

The closure is in effect through Aug. 15, 2014. However, if the hazard tree issue is mitigated, the campground could reopen earlier. The order is available online at www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino.

While the trees in the area still have green needles and look alive, resource specialists have found that the internal structure has been compromised and is rotting from the inside out. This weakening of the tree trunk poses a greater risk of sudden collapse without warning, posing a threat to campers using the facility.

“Visitor safety is our highest priority,” said Forest Supervisor Sherry Tune. “As fire season winds down this fall, we will be able to have forest personnel further evaluate the trees, identifying a safe way to mitigate the hazard so we can once again open this popular recreation site. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work on a solution.”

Violation of the closure order is punishable by a fine of no more than $5,000 for an individual, $10,000 for an organization, or up to six months imprisonment or both.

LOUISIANA

From The Advocate, Baton Rouge:

The St. James Parish Council on Wednesday (Aug. 21) approved in a 7-0 vote an ordinance amendment regulating development of new RV parks and campgrounds.

The amendment adds to the ordinance an application procedure for new RV parks or RV campground sites and specifies the areas where they can be built.

Prior to the ordinance amendment, RV parks and campsites were not included in the parish’s ordinance addressing manufactured homes and trailers.

The ordinance was enacted after complaints from residents concerned about the possibility of a new RV park opening in the Grand Point area between Convent and Lutcher.

Councilmen sought to amend the parish’s current RV parks and campground ordinance with, among other items, limitations on locations where future parks could open for business.

As a result of Wednesday’s vote, new RV parks or campground sites may not be built within 1,500 feet of any adjacent residential unit or property.

The legislation also bans new RV parks within 3,000 feet of any public playground, park or building used exclusively as a church, synagogue, public library or school, historical site or cemetery unless a letter of no objection is obtained from all adjacent residents and property owners.

Additionally, the parish’s Planning Commission from now on will require RV park developers to send notices by certified registered mail to alert property owners and residents living within 2,000 feet of a proposed building site, the ordinance said.

RV parks or campgrounds with current, valid licenses will be grandfathered in to the new law and are not required to abide by the new regulations, said Parish Attorney Bruce Mohon.